Shoe drier



March 9, 1954 E. MONTGOMERY 2,671,277

SHOE DRIER Filed Eeb. 23, 1952 INVENTOR EVERETTE L. MONTGOMERY ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE DRIER Everette L. Montgomery, South Gate, Calif.

Application February 23, 1952, Serial No. 273,071

1 Claim.

My invention has to do with devices to be removably inserted in shoes to absorb moisture from the interior thereof.

I am aware that others have proposed the use of moisture absorptive insoles for shoes, but such devices have been impracticable because, to provide an insole which is efficient in its absorptive qualities, renders the insole too bulky and uncomfortable for the wearer of the shoes.

It is an object of my invention to provide a moisture absorbent device which is so constructed that it is not only highly efficient as a moisture absorber but which is so constructed that it may be easily inserted in and removed from a shoe so that it does not become a permanent part of the shoe construction.

Other and subordinate objects will appear hereinafter.

Without intending thereby to limit the broader scope of the invention, except as appears from the appended claim, I shall now describe a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, for which purpos I shall refer to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view;

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are enlarged sections taken on lines 22, 33, and 4 l, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the device mounted in a shoe; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the device in position to be inserted in a shoe.

Referring now to the drawings, a device embodying my invention is generally shown at 5 and comprises a pair of woven fabric sheets !5, l6 sewed together along their edges by stitching l8, to provide a container for an absorbent filling 20. It is my preference to use silica gel as the absorbent filling, although other well-known absorbent materials may be used.

After the filling is inserted in the container, the sheets l5--l6 are sewed together by a line of stitching 22 which commences at the heel portion 23, extends around the marginal portion 24, and returns to the end portion, and another row of stitching 26 extends longitudinally of the center, intersecting the stitching 22 at the toe portion 28.

Then a hinge is provided by a transverse row of stitching 30 adjacent the heel portion.

Thus the absorbent filling is confined by the 2 stitching in the separate compartments provided by the stitching so that th material may not become bunched in spots, leaving other spots empty. Moreover, the filling for the heel portion is separated from the filling in the remaining portion.

Not only does the hinge 30 enable the device to be conveniently folded upon itself for storing when not in use but it greatly facilitates insertion in the shoe. That is, to insert the device in a shoe, the heel portion of the device is swung upwardly (Fig. 6) so that the forward portion of the device may be inserted in the forward portion of the shoe, after which the heel portion is swung downwardly into the heel portion of the shoe against the insole (Fig. 5).

Two of the devices (one for each of a pair of shoes) are preferably secured together by a tape 35, which tape provides a convenient pull member to remove the device from a shoe and also provides a convenient hanger to enable the pair of devices to be hung up for drying in a suitable place.

In use, if a pair of shoes become wet or moist inside from perspiration or from other causes, the device may be inserted in the shoes when they are removed from the feet at night and next morning the shoes will be fully dried so that the devices may be removed.

I claim:

In a shoe dryer, a substantially flattened flexible fabric sack adapted to fit against the insole of a shoe and having a rear portion and a forward portion, a filling of moisture-absorbent material in said sack; longitudinally disposed transversely spaced rows of stitching separating said sack into separate absorbent material containing pockets; and a transverse row of stitching at the intersection of said rear and forward portions separating the rear portions of said pockets from the forward portions thereof and defining a hinge area between said portions.

EVERETTE L. MONTGOMERY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,210,862 Tronstad Aug. 6, 1940 2,453,179 Austin Nov. 9, 1948 2,469,468 Judd May 10, 1949 

